Nightmares and Daydreams
by IsomorphicTARDIS
Summary: Okay, look. I don't know what was going through my head when I wrote this, but here it is. Pretty much a Danny Phantom fic that grew into something much more...odd. Don't ask me - I honestly have no answer to any questions about it. Good luck making it through the first chapter. If you do, you deserve a medal. Just...I don't even know.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay. You want the truth? I don't even know what this is. And ****_I'm_**** the one that wrote it. Honestly, it was like, three months ago. I don't remember what I had for breakfast this morning. I don't even remember ****_if_**** I had breakfast** **this morning. The thing is, though, this started simple. It was a simple fic, but then it turned into some weird, 14-year-old-boy with PTSD and really weird thing situations...I just don't even know anymore. This just started as a simple idea, and...grew. Like everything else I write. Curse you, writing methods!**

** Hey! Fact: You are beautiful. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. R&R!**

There was a flash; pupils dilated, and a soft groan escaped her lips.

She rolled around in her bed, looking for the source of the flash to find that it was only a dream.

Her chocolate brown eyes finding her alarm clock, she allowed another groan to escape her lips before begrudgingly fumbling out of bed and stumbling around her room. If she weren't so tired, she might have laughed. Jazz Fenton, almost-psychologist and mental age of an adult, was getting up at 3:00 in the morning for a cup of chocolate milk. She lazily pulled open her door and was walking down the hallway when she heard it.

A blood-curdling scream snapped her out of childish reverie and back into reality, urging her to go towards the noise to investigate.

She hesitated.

The scream came from...Danny's room. Surely nothing bad could be happening, right? Yes, ghosts didn't really care for the time and would attack Amity Park in the middle of the night, but there was usually some sort of crash as Danny was awoken by his ghost sense. Jazz hadn't heard anything; was she too occupied, or was something going on? And, on the off chance that it was a ghost, could she really help him, or would she just get in the way? Another shout crashed her train of thought and she quietly dashed into Danny's room, expecting the worst.

She looked up and blinked.

Danny was lying in the middle of his bed, his legs squirming under the restricting covers while his arms shook and were clutched close to his chest. Sweat beaded across his forehead, and he was mumbling incoherent words that came so fast, there was no chance of finding out what they were. But worst of all was the shaking.

Every few moments, a shiver would erupt, leaving the boy shaking worse than the few moments before.

Every few moments, a scream tore through his throat.

Jazz stood there, unsure as of what to do; should she wake him up, or try to comfort him into a bearable sleep?

Oh no, she thought as the Halfa shivered his most violent tremor and a small blue tendril escaped his mouth. Really? Now?

Jazz made her decision quick.

Shaking awake her baby brother, she only succeeded when she yelled, "Danny! Ghost!"

The boy shot up, as if awake the whole time, and jumped up, his arms coming to his side and his knees bending to form his fighting stance. He shot a glazed, wary glance at Jazz before changing into his alter ego, Danny Phantom.

Two bright white rings appeared from his waist, both traveling in vertical directions, leaving the halfa with an inversely-colored jumpsuit, shiny silver hair, and bright green eyes.

He said in a raspy voice raw from yelling, "Okay, I don't know who you are –" he started, but cut off when he saw who had just phased into his bedroom.

"I AM THE BOX GHOST! BEWARE!"

There were a few moments of silence.

Danny sighed, rubbing his temples. "Okay, Box Ghost, this is the sixth time tonight you've bothered me. What do you want?" He sat down on his bed, transforming back to human again as he looked tiredly up at the ghost above him.

The Box Ghost seemed to blush – at least, as much as you can when you're a ghost – and looked down at his shuffling feet. He finally blurted out, "Do-you-know-what-the-Lunch-Lady-would-like-as-a-birthday-present?"

Jazz looked up, shocked; she had been standing at the head of Danny's bed, and was now completely confused. Didn't the ghost want revenge, or something? To add to her surprise, Danny just sighed again. He hesitated, apparently lost in thought, when he said, "Well, you're the ghost of Boxes and she's the ghost of Lunch, right? So...give her a mix of the two. Put...I don't know, meat flowers or something in a box and send it to her." He then added, "Now will you go away and leave me alone?"

The Box Ghost lit up and said, "I have a better idea! I will use both of our skills of cubular containers and lunch to make a batch of meat flowers – in a box!" He turned to Danny. "BEWARE!" And he was gone.

Danny rubbed his temples again, buttering something that sounded strangely like, "Box Lunch. I can see it now. Yikes and Ew." He turned to go back to bed when he spotted Jazz, who was currently standing stock still, trying to figure out what had just happened.

"Uh, Jazz?" Danny tried, his voice wavering a little. His hand instinctively shot up to his neck and began rubbing it. Jazz's brain also instinctively registered it as not good. It meant he was nervous about something. "How long have you been standing there?"

Her mouth opened, ready to recite a whole speech but all that came out was, "What just happened?"

"Long enough, then," Danny whispered to himself, but not quietly enough.

"Long enough for what?" Jazz instantly replied, her mouth working faster than her brain. It finally caught up to her and she silently congratulated her mouth for not blurting out stupid questions.

"Nothing," he said, maybe a little to fast. He tried again, slowly this time. "Everything's fine. The Box Ghost just has a crush on the lunch Lady. Nothing to be worried about."

Jazz just nodded dazedly, not believing nor understanding a word of what he was saying. How could she, with all of the questions running through her head, clouding her thoughts? She only barely registered that she was being ushered out of the ghost-boy's room late enough so that she couldn't protest.

Sighing and leaving it for another time, she walked back to her room and pulled the covers over her head. The questions were still flying around, so she organized them and decided to take them all one by one. She ended up stuck with the first question throughout the whole night.

"What could have Danny screaming like that?"

**A/N:...Don't judge me. I don't know what this is, and, quite frankly, I don't really want to know anymore. I know I tend not to like the things I write, but this story just stretched that boundary a bit too far. **

** Anyway, you go be your amazing self, and, if for some odd reason, you feel compelled to read this, go ahead! Though, I would recommend seeing someone if you do continue reading. 'Cause this is just...nevermind. R&R!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Alright, Audience, this is where it gets weird. Just...hang in there, okay? You can make it though, but only if you try. If you can't, I don't blame you. I can barely make it through even now.**

** Hey! You know how I know you're beautiful? I don't need to look at you to know that you're beautiful on the inside - and that's what counts! (p.s. Good Luck with this chapter - you'll need it!) R&R!**

Jazz woke up that morning only to find that it was five minutes before her alarm clock was set to ring.

Cursing at life for its unexpected ethics, she decided to wait out the five minutes and shut the clock up then.

She never got that far.

A sudden crash took her attention, and she glanced out the window only to find her brother, in ghost form, yelling at Ember.

"Honestly, it's only seven in the morning! I've got school in ten minutes! Can't you take a break?" Danny whined, gesturing in mid-air to make his point. Ember huffed and crossed her arms.

"I did take a break. I actually let you off for a night. If you want to take it out on somebody, do it on the Box Ghost. He's the one whose been bothering you, anyway."

"Oh, wow, you left me one night and you're blaming it on – hold on. How did you know the Box Ghost was keeping me up? Were you spying on he?" he asked, a scandalized look creasing his face. "I can't believe it! You've been spying on me!"

"That's none of your business, dipstick!" Ember yelled, strumming a chord on her guitar and sending a pink first toward the halfa, who was roughly shoved to the side to avoid it.

Unfortunately, things just seemed to get worse for Danny throughout the rest of the day. In the middle of his fight with Ember, Valerie had decided she wouldn't miss this for the world, and proceeded to try to shoot Danny down. Then, after Danny got Ember in the Thermos, Valerie finally got a shot on him, the blast clipping his left shoulder. He fell to the ground, but thought better of it as Valerie soon drifted down. He shot up into the air, and a chase ensued. And if it couldn't get worse, Skulker had just decided to stop by to say hello before he joined Ember in the Thermos. He had finally lost Valerie, only to find Technus messing with his gadgets again. Seeing as the Fenton Thermos he was currently using was beginning to bulge with three ghosts in it, Danny had to go back to the lab and set them into the Ghost Zone, keeping back the Box Ghost as well. ("BEWARE!") Then he checked his watch and dashed to school, running into class fifteen minutes late.

"Detention again, Mr. Fenton. And, see me after class. I would like to speak with you," Mr. Lancer said in a monotone voice, though he accentuated 'speak,' meaning that Danny's day was not going to get any better.

Danny just nodded, sighing as he sat down at his desk and brought his head down on the cool polished wood. His friends gave him sympathetic looks, but after a few notes, they asked why had been up and night. He brought his hands up in a mocking 'ghost' position, while mouthing, "Beware!"

They each giggled, but stopped immediately when Mr. Lancer called out, "Is there something you would like to share with the class, Mr. Fenton?"

Of course. He was only going on Danny for who-knows-what reasons. "No sir, Mr. Lancer," came his response. Mr. Lancer sighed and went back to the board and his lesson.

Cue ghost sense.

Danny's hand shot up, but Mr. Lancer didn't see him. He waved the ligament around in the air, trying to catch the teacher's attention while also looking around warily for the ghost. Some snickers erupted from the class, but Mr. Lancer still refused to turn around. Danny glanced at the clock and sighed, the hands reading five minutes before the next be. Surely, the ghosts could keep it down for five minutes? Surely that wasn't too much to ask for?

It was.

Only thirty seconds after this thought crossed Danny's mind did they hear a distant scream and laughter.

Danny banged his head on his desk once more, taking the turmoil as an active excuse to leave and find whatever ghost had decided he couldn't wait five minutes.

As it was, the ghost turned out to be the Box Ghost.

Danny almost considered looking into the Box Ghost – he currently held the record time for getting back to the real world after one of Danny's fights. How he did it was unknown to anyone, and Danny was beginning to doubt his stupidity.

That thought also dissipated almost as soon as it came, when the Box Ghost shouted, "I am the Box Ghost! Beware my awesome power of control over every box and bubble wrap roll of Death!"

Maybe not.

With one more sigh, Danny shifted around in the Janitor's closet and flew out, intangible and invisible, as Phantom. As soon as he reached where the Box Ghost was, however, he was dodging and flying out of the way of incoming projectiles, most of them harmless cardboard boxes. They had made it to the football field; the Box Ghost was now sending varying types of boxes Danny's way, though Danny just turned intangible through most of them. "Seriously, where do you get this stuff?" he yelled, but the Box Ghost didn't seem to hear him.

"Everyone, look! It's Danny Phantom! And he's fighting that creepy ghost dude!" A voice called out, and some cheers followed it.

Surprised at the sudden change of attitude from some of Amity Park, Danny looked away and became victim of a particularly heavy roll of bubble wrap. Where was all of this stuff coming from?

He turned back and punched the Box Ghost in the face with renewed vigor, but as he was sending his fist into his face again, someone else said, "Who, Dan? He's just a weird freak that terrorizes the town!"

He froze.

Images flashed through his mind: Valerie as the Red Huntress, attempting to catch his older self unawares, the darker Dan as he shot at innocent people, flaming hair, pointed teeth, long, billowing cape, crimson, blood-red eyes filled with sadistic mirth at the sight of the destruction he had caused...It was becoming too much. He felt a large pounding against his skull, as if something were trying to get out. If only his headache would stop...

If anything, the Box Ghost was confused. The ghost child had been ready to take him down then and there – he had raised his fist and the full ghost flinched, expecting the non-existent blow. But some human had said something, and now he had frozen where his fist was about to connect with his face? He had stopped? Was what the human said, could it be his weakness? The ghost child's eyes seemed to be glazed over, and he watched as a horrified look crept onto the Halfa's face and he started to descend, pulling back on his hand as his eyes widened. He finally touched the ground and hugged his legs to his chest; he shivered, and then shut his eyes tightly. Sweat began to bead his forehead, but after a while, he seemed to relax a bit, unclenching his teeth and slightly opening his eyes. He kept his head down as he flexed his fists and took off into the horizon.

Danny didn't even realize that he was slowly sinking to the ground. All he wanted was for the memories and the accompanying headache to stop. They both flooded over him, reminding him, never letting him forget; he always faced and relived them at night when he got the time to sleep, but did he really have to suffer during the daytime, too? The pressure on his head was starting to make his fingertips numb, and he clenched his teeth, flexed his fists and shut his eyes to try and help with the pain. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, whether it was hours or minutes or seconds, but finally the pain began to subside. He relaxed as much as he could, and wasn't surprised to find tears sliding down his face. No one needed to see those. He just wished – no, he just wanted it all to disappear, so that it had never happened. So he bit back his sobs and flew off into the distance, hoping no one had seen his tear-stained face. He didn't even see everyone else looking back at him.

Everyone stared, mouths agape, at the scene that had just unfolded before them. The Box Ghost, however, could feel it. He could practically feel the negative energy radiating off of the ghost child, the energy he used to get stronger. But...he didn't want world domination. Not really. He just didn't want to starve. So, after a few moments of shocked silence, the Box Ghost simply floated away, going back to the Ghost Zone without a final, "Beware!"

**A/N: Don't - just don't. You know what? I'm not even going to add the R&R to this story anymore - It's just that...****_wrong_****. They all seem too out of character to me, but I didn't have the heart (or capability of mind) to go back and refine it. So...yeah.**

** Hey! Well...I've really got nothing to say, since the R&R usually gives me inspiration...oh well. Good Luck on the next Chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey again! For those of you still reading, congrats, and, chocolate bunnies to those of you that reviewed!**

**SmartyMcSmartle: A ginormous thanks to you - that actually means quite a lot to me!**

**MsFrizzle: A great thanks you to too! thanks for going in depth - it's nice to know I think alike to someone out there with my writing!**

**So, a great big party for those two, a warning, one of my customary notes, and we can get on with the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: Wow. Like, really? Do I really even need to say it? What? It's for legal purposes? ...Alright...I DON'T OWN DANNY PHANTOM. What a mess that show would be with me behind it. **

**Oh, hold on, I forgot - as I wrote this some three months back or something, I didn't exactly put this in order. So...sorry if it takes a while in the future and has bad cliffhanger points. Not the best at that. Now I'd better finish this Author's Note before it gets longer than the chapter.**

** Honestly now, do you know how many songs there are about people being beautiful? Listen to one, and you'll see how it relates to you. R&R!**

Danny flew around for a few minutes before he realized that he had nowhere to go and had to return to school. Wiping the stray tears from his face, he slowly turned around and headed back. The crowd had dissipated, but he didn't want to throw caution to the wind, so he phased into a stall in the boys' bathroom and walked back to class. Everyone was already sitting down, but no one commented as Danny Fenton walked to his desk, eyes bloodshot and puffy from crying.

Even Dash stayed silent.

Until Danny reached his desk, that is.

He snickered and shot a triumphant glare at the halfa. Danny just ignored him; there was nothing more he could do, and, despite several arguments, Dash just wasn't that interesting.

Getting a touch annoyed by the lack of attention, Dash decided to spend his time calling Danny names, seeing which ones he seemed to be annoyed at the most.

'Fentonia' and 'Fenturd' didn't seem to have any effect on him, though he did see him roll his eyes in exasperation. 'Freak' and 'Loser', however, made his flinch. Immensely proud of himself for getting himself closer to his weakness, Dash continued to call him those names before abusing his first name.

"Hey, Danturd! You alright, Danton?" He especially liked the mix of his first and last name: Dentoenail. All of these only succeeded in making Danny hit his head on his desk in annoyance. Then, Dash struck gold.

"Oh, come on, Dan!" he said, about to continue. But then he saw the expression on Danny's face. He had flinched, and still hadn't snapped out of it. Dash looked at his watch and found that he had managed to space out for three minutes straight, because of a name. Then Danny glanced at his friends, his face blank, and they paled.

"What is it, Dan? Don't like that name? Why not, Dan? Does it bother you, Dan? Hey Dan, I bet I can get you into your own locker today. Dan, I'm totally going to get you at lunch today. You and your freak squad are going to pay this time, Dan–"

"WOULD YOU STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Danny shouted, sending an icy glare at Dash, who just stared back, triumphant. Everyone was looking over at the scene, except Mr. Lancer. What Danny did next, however, made Dash's smile droop a bit.

Danny groaned, sinking his head into his hands and clutching it like his life depended on it. His eyes were squeezed together and he was grabbing his hair and pulling – Dash was surprised it didn't all come out. He began banging his head on the table and breathing deeply; it didn't seem to have any effect, though.

And then it stopped. By this time, everyone was looking at Danny, but he just backed his chair from his desk a few inches. If you listened close enough, you might have been able to hear a small sniffle escape him. He slowly stood up, and everyone gasped at his tear-stricken face. And he ran.

Sam and Tucker watched in a moment's hesitation before running back after him. Complete silence filled the room, until Mr. Lancer continued his lesson as if nothing had happened. But no one was listening to him; everyone was worried about Danny, some with furrowed eyebrows, wondering if he was okay, and some with eyebrows high, congratulating Dash on his 'accomplishment.'

Dash wasn't sure, though. Yeah, it felt good to bat on Fenton, but he felt like he had crossed a line. There was a small part of him that was still proud, but the rest just felt an odd...guilt.

It was ten minutes before the next bell that Danny was practically dragged into the classroom by his friends, his head down and his arms hanging loosely at his side. Then, to most everyone's surprise, he apologized to Mr. Lancer, the class and Dash. He didn't look up once.

He never even took his eyes off of the ground the rest of the period.

At least, that's what would've happened, had Dash let it go.

"Woah, Dan. Nice job getting everyone's attention. Too bad it won't do you any good, though, huh, Dan?"

Danny balled his hands into tight fists and clenched his teeth.

.

Danny was surprisingly lucky today; it may not have started out as the best day, but it had gradually gotten better.

The Box Ghost had showed up again.

Misdirected Anger, here I come.

Other than him, though, Danny had a ghost-free day. He couldn't figure out if that was something to be celebrating over or worrying about. His friends weren't helping much either.

"If they haven't come in a while, they might be planning something. And, with your luck, they probably are," Sam had said, setting her ultra-recyclo-vegetarian lunch down onto the table.

"But this might be your only day off! I say take it as it is and give yourself something for defending the town. Besides, what harm could one day off do?" Tucker argued, and Danny was forcefully reminded of several times when he had left and come back to find the city in turmoil.

His friends must have caught his expression, because Sam sent Tucker a triumphant look and got a scowl in return.

"Sorry Tucker, but I think I have to agree with Sam on this one. And, although she's probably right, I've still got bigger issues to work with," Danny said, giving in to an involuntary shiver.

They both stared at him warily and put two hands on his shoulders, giving him comforting words.

He just shrugged.

.

Danny sighed again. Could this day get any worse? He thought it was going to get better, but then, right after school, both Ember and Skulker came to set something straight. Somehow, a rumor had floated around that Skulker and Ember were dating. So they naturally turn to Danny. After all, who else would start rumors in the Ghost Zone when he spends about a tenth of his life in there?

Ghosts just didn't make sense. Well, he really shouldn't be talking, being half-ghost himself.

And, to top it off, another rumor had apparently spread around the Ghost Zone; the Box Ghost had finally found Danny Phantom, the Halfa's, weakness.

Normally Danny wouldn't be worried about this, it being a rumor and probably spread by the Box Ghost. However, when the number of fights increased and ended with a smirk that clearly said, 'Just wait until later,' he was starting to worry a bit.

It was with Valerie that he found out the rumor was true.

"Hey Ghost Boy! Ready for your serving of Ecto-blast today?" she called out, grinning at the crestfallen face of said ghost boy.

He quickly responded by dodging her blast and retorting, "Only if you're ready for yours, little Red!"

He had begun calling her 'little Red' not long ago. They had recently done a report in Mr. Lancer's class about a book using satire on Little Red Riding Hood, and Danny found the nickname suitable for the Red Huntress. It doesn't need to be said, she didn't like it much.

She growled at him, but instead of firing another blast from her gun, she stopped her hover board and – smirked?

"Rumor has it that you have a weakness, Ghost Boy!" She jeered, barely moving out of the way of Danny's Ecto-blast.

"Oh yeah? What is it, then?" he replied sharply, not missing a beat.

She paused and smirked again. "Oh come on, Dan! Do you really think I'd tell a freak like you?" she said in a mock innocent voice.

But Danny wasn't listening.

Again, he saw the images, the headache, and the yelling, the whispering, the memories, the pain – all of the things that seemed to originate from one word.

Dan.

Maybe he did have a weakness after all. Wasn't it a bit ironic that the hero-of-Amity-Park 's weakness was himself? And just one word could bring him down.

**A/N: Okay, so I just went back and read the whole stories again, and, honestly, it brought me to almost-tears at what you guys said. Seriously, it's like 12:00 in the afternoon, I just woke up, and I can feel my eyes are getting that weird sensation after you cry...really guys, you don't even know how much that means to me. **

**Now that we're apart from the mushy stuff, a real thanks to you guys and I'll see you next chapter! R&R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Alright, a couple of things to say. First of all, thank you guys ****_so much_**** for the reviews! Yeah, it's only six reviews, but ****_I don't care!_**** So, a great big hug to all of you out there who are reading this now and are ****_reviewing_****! *hint, hint***

**Huh. I hope these characters aren't too OOC. They probably will be, but whatever...**

Valerie hadn't been expecting this.

She had expected anger, confusion, fear, even the possibility that he would laugh at the crazy notion. But he hadn't.

Instead, she used the one sentence she hoped would work – and it did.

"Oh come on, Dan! Do you really think I'd tell a freak like you?" she had said.

She had never expected what had happened next.

He looked about ready to burst open with laughter – until after she said the sentence. Then, something seemed to click, and his eyes glazed over, his body flying in the air while his mind was somewhere else.

And he started to fall. It wasn't a straight fall, he just slowly crept down from the air, finally dropping to the ground, where he curled up into a small ball, his eyes wide and his face showing a plain expression of terror, while he just squeezed tighter, and tighter, and tighter, and shut his glowing green eyes.

She thought she might have even heard him mumble a few things, but when she also came down, (softly, mind you. This could be a trick,) she was immediately surprised by the fact that he seemed to be crying.

But, ghosts didn't cry. They couldn't cry. All they cared about was destruction and fulfilling their obsession. That's it. So why was this ghost crying?

She knew – she would have even done it – she could blast this ghost into oblivion, but what are you supposed to do when that ghost suddenly almost tackles you to the ground, traps you in a headlock and cries on your shoulder?

She stood there in shock, not sure what to do, before gently patting him awkwardly on the back. He didn't seem to notice; he just kept crying, and Valerie couldn't help but feel bad for the ghost.

All it took was two sentences to bring the worst, most destructive, strongest and most resilient ghost down to its knees.

And she had taken advantage of that.

.

So she followed him. Naturally.

At first she thought he would go to the Ghost Zone, but she was proven wrong when she overheard some of his 'witty banter' while fighting Plasmius.

"I don't see why you don't just join me, Danny. We could have everything, a real family that doesn't try to experiment on you. I could even get you a place, a home, in the Ghost Zone. We could all live together without complications! Why don't you just come?" Plasmius had said, his voice and face pleading.

But Danny shot back, "Okay, first, I already have everything I need. Second, my family doesn't experiment on me. Third, I don't want to live in the Ghost Zone. I've got family and friends here. There's nothing there for me. And lastly, I doubt we would have no complications when living with a crazed-up fruitloop!"

Valerie was quite shocked at this. He had family? Friends? And that 'family' experimented on him? He didn't have somewhere in the Ghost Zone to stay? So where did he stay? And what in the Ghost Zone was a crazed-up fruitloop?

Valerie suddenly snapped back to the present; Danny had just flown down to the streets, probably looking for more people to terrorize.

But, to her surprise, he landed at the entrance to an alleyway a block away from Fenton Works. So he wasn't lying about the 'not having a place in the Ghost Zone' thing.

He looked around, almost warily, and proceeded down the dark passage.

Valerie followed, keeping her feet as soft as possible. This might be where he hides his secret base, or something. Where he comes up with his plans and has his own lab.

But, again, she was taken completely by surprise when they came to a square clearing, with a dumpster leaning against one of the buildings. He leaned against the dumpster, sliding down to a sitting position. If Valerie didn't know better, she might have guessed he was just another homeless teenager.

His eyelids seemed to droop a bit – but ghosts didn't need sleep, right? And suddenly he shivered violently, a small blue mist escaping through his mouth.

His relaxed, teenager persona vanished abruptly, and he was up and alert, glaring at a certain spot across from him and to the left of Valerie.

"What do you want, Ember?" He spat, but it wasn't nearly as intimidating as it might have been, had his voice not cracked when he said it.

There was a disembodied sigh, and a teenage ghost with long, fiery hair and a guitar appeared from nowhere, saying, "Hello, dipstick. Nice to meet you too."

"I said, what do you want?" he said, attempting to step forward, but instead finding himself leaning against the dumpster for support.

A flash of concern passed across Ember's face, and she said, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, no thanks to you," he snarled, managing to get some of his balance back.

"If that's how you want to be, dipstick. I just came to check on you, but I can just leave just as easily –" she said, turning to do just that.

"No!" Danny shouted desperately. "Please. I-I'm sorry." Valerie wondered how many times she was going to be shocked. His voice was so small and weak; she was surprised it didn't just break altogether.

Ember turned to him and smiled.

She went over to him and sat on his left side, her eyebrows contracting for a moment as he plopped down with a loud oomph.

They both waited a moment in nervously comforting silence, until conversation struck.

"So, does this visit have anything to do with Vlad? Or are you just being nice for once?" Danny said, and Valerie thought Ember was going to slap him. At least, that what the look on her face showed. But, once again, she was wrong.

"Vlad," she said, her face going somber. "He says that he's sorry he's had to send someone else, but you guys need to discuss your 'weakness' together. He's not very happy, you know."

Danny laughed. "I would imagine not. But that's not why you came."

She looked at him in annoyance. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. I also heard about this 'weakness' of yours and wanted to check up on you. Apparently you're not doing to well."

"Hey!" he shouted indignantly. "I'm just fine!"

"Yeah," Ember replied, her face suddenly more serious than ever. "You sure look it, especially when _he_ comes up in conversation."

He visibly flinched, and Valerie watched as Ember waited patiently for his spacing out to finish. Valerie recorded it. Two minutes? Wow. Someone has issues.

"My point exactly," she continued, looking at his bent head and slumped shoulders.

"Is it...nightmares?" she asked hesitantly. This was, after all, a touchy subject.

He took a breath to answer, and then let it out slowly. "Nightmares," he confirmed. "And memories. And sometimes daydreams. I just don't know what's wrong!"

She just cocked her head and raised an eyebrow.

He looked at her in exasperation. He threw his hands up and said, "I don't know! Every time he's mentioned, I just space out! I can feel and hear and see the memories of him, and I get this enormous headache, and I can't concentrate, and tears start to pour, and I can't stop it because I don't know what's wrong or what I'm doing, all I know is that it's happening, and I need help!" he ranted, his voice becoming more fragile and breaking with every word.

She wasn't surprised to find tears streaming down his face now.

Then, Ember did something neither of them expected.

She pulled Danny into a hug.

He seemed stuck for a moment, still in shock and not sure as of what was happening. And then he realized that he was being comforted, and he squeezed her, feeling immensely better when she squeezed back.

Then they broke apart rather awkwardly, dusting themselves off.

"Thanks," Danny said in a small voice. "I needed that."

"No problem, dipstick," came the response. "But –" she whipped out her guitar and held it a few inches from his face. "If you tell anyone about this, I will see to it that your afterlife ends then and there. Got it, dipstick?"

Danny smirked. "Only if you stop calling me dipstick."

Ember laughed. "Not a chance, Halfa."

He flinched again, and she cringed at her mistake. "Oh. I-I'm sorry, I didn't –"

"That's alright." He said, looking up at her with a solemn smile. "I'd better get used to it, anyway. It may be a reminder, but at least it keeps me on track."

Ember smiled again, and then said her goodbyes as she flew off into the sky.

Danny sighed and sat against the dumpster again, just like last time. Except this time, his eyes fluttered closed immediately, and his breathing smoothed out, his face now containing a calm expression.

Did he just...fall asleep? In all honesty, Valerie felt her eyelids drooping as well, but she instantly sobered, reminding herself that this ghost was still dangerous, and was probably just pretending. She shook her head to get out of her reverie, but froze when she saw what – or rather, who – was on the opposite side of the alley.

Ember was crouched there, a finger held up to her lips in a silent gesture of required silence. Valerie glared at her suspiciously, but didn't make a sound.

But Phantom did.

He shifted in his 'sleep', sinking lower onto the ground. He clenched his teeth and she realized his breathing was becoming more labored by the second. His fists clenched also, and he was now turning his head away from his left side.

He was...having a nightmare? Valerie glanced at Ember, and her expression confirmed her theory.

Now the Halfa was really struggling. He shivered a bit, but no blue smoke emerged. If she looked closely, she could see that he was shaking anyway. He shivered again, his entire body trembling at the scene his mind was presenting him in his nightmare.

Then came the screams.

At first, they came as stifled whimpers, but they gradually grew until he was yelling his throat raw. Valerie tried to cover her ears, but found herself mesmerized and horrified at the scene in front of her. However, she was saved the trouble; Phantom let out a particularly blood-curdling scream, and Ember flew over to him, shaking his shoulder.

In an instant he was up – Valerie supposed it was because of the ghost's cool touch – and he came up fighting. His fist flew up, and Ember dodged it expertly; his moves were sloppy and uncoordinated in his daze.

What she wasn't expecting was for him to keep going. He lashed out with both hands and feet, backing further against the wall. Finally, Ember had enough dodging, and yelled, "Dipstick! Phantom! Danny!" she called him all sorts of names, but none of them seemed to make him respond. "Ghost! Halfa!...Dan!" She knew it was dangerous, but she had to snap him out of this. And it worked.

He froze again, and, from her hiding spot, could see faint tear tracks run across his face. Ghosts could...cry? Surprising her again, Ember walked over to the half-ghost and took him in, allowing him to cry on her as she patted his back and ceased his sobs. Ember glanced in the shadows to where Valerie was, and waved her off. She didn't however, seem to be surprised when Valerie stayed.

She just sent a wary glance in her direction, before turning back to Phantom. He pulled away and wiped the tears from his eyes. He chuckled.

"So much for 'town hero.' All it takes is a name."

Valerie almost broke down herself. He sounded so...pitiful and defeated. She would almost have raced out there for him, had Ember not sent her a glare.

He laughed again. "Thanks for that. But I really would prefer if you didn't tell Vlad that I kinda broke down," he said sheepishly, stealing a glance at Ember's face. But her eyes were directed somewhere in the shadows.

His face contorted into one of confusion. "What are you looking at?"

She came back to the present, needing a distraction, and quick; it would also have to be really stupid, because he wasn't that oblivious (to her knowledge). So she did the only reasonable thing she could do.

She kissed him.

Valerie watched in amusement as Ember pressed her lips onto Phantom's, whose arms were flailing, pinwheel form, so he wouldn't lose his balance. The look on his face was priceless.

Ember slowly backed away, expecting the outburst of exasperated insults and demands. She was met by stunned silence. She looked up to find him sitting there, his eyes glazed over. Worried she had sent him into another one of his trances, she edged closer to him. But then he let out a disgusted moan, proceeding to wipe his lips with his arms far too many times than necessary as his face contorted into one of disgusted horror.

"Ember! What was that!" he shouted, still wiping his lips. She smacked away his hands and crossed them over her chest. Meanwhile, Valerie was only just managing to keep herself quiet as her body was wracked by a fit of giggles.

She shrugged. "You were being really stupid, so I took the shot to shut you up."

He spluttered. "Well, couldn't you have just, I don't know, slapped me? Like any other normal ghost?"

"Okay first of all, most ghosts want to kill you, not slap you. And second, it was payback for spreading the rumor. That lipstick isn't going to come out for weeks. Oh, and, just so you know, I do have a boyfriend, thank you very much."

Phantom's eyes were as wide as saucers. Then he burst out laughing. "It...it was...I was right...wasn't I? HAH! Skulker and Ember sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n –"

"Finish that word and you're Vlad bait," Ember teased, which just caused Phantom to laugh more.

"Did you know our anniversary is coming up? The day he first met me is in three days. He's probably got some scheme up again, hasn't he?"

Ember laughed, imitating her boss as she said, "It's chess, Daniel. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

They both fell to the ground, laughing. Valerie couldn't help but let out some of her laughter.

It is the best medicine, after all.

.

**A/N: Alright! Yeah! Not actually a shipper of Danny/Ember! I don't know, I just saw an opportunity and jumped on it, okay. So...yeah. What a weirdo I was a couple of months ago. Meh. **

**On another note, I have just had the pants scared out of me - my sister set my computer to tell the time every hour, and I accidentally hit the un-mute button. I WILL FIND YOU, SOPHIE. **

**Anyways, thanks for reading (and reviewing!) and I'll try to get the next chapter up ASAP.**


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